[116.09] Mechanisms for Central Abundance Enhancements in Clusters of Galaxies

R. A. Dupke (U. Alabama), R. E. White III (U. Alabama)

We use spatially resolved ASCA spectral data for the cooling
flow cluster Abell 496 to show that its central metal
abundance enhancement is due to Type I supernovae, whereas
the bulk of the cluster metals are from SN II.
We describe evidence which distinguishes whether
the central SN I component is due to either metal-rich
gas ram-pressure stripped from other cluster galaxies
or the accumulation of normal stellar mass loss
in the central dominant galaxy.
We also present evidence for large scale abundance gradients
in clusters at intermediate red shifts, in particular for
Abell 1413, the farthest cluster presenting indications of
central abundance enhancements.